The most common cause is that the tab was already open when you installed the extension. Chrome doesn't inject content scripts into pre-existing tabs.
Fix: Reload the tab with Ctrl+R (or Cmd+R on Mac). If that doesn't work, check that the global toggle in the popup is switched on and that the site isn't on your whitelist.
Another extension or your OS may be using the same shortcut. You can reassign it:
- Go to
chrome://extensions/shortcuts - Find NightShift and click the shortcut field
- Press your preferred new key combination
You're likely using Full invert mode. Switch to Smart invert instead — it inverts text and backgrounds while automatically cancelling the inversion on images, videos, canvas, and SVGs so they display at their original colours.
Open the popup → Invert Mode → select Smart ✦.
Some sites that already have a dark theme can look wrong when NightShift is also applied. The easiest fix is to whitelist that site:
- Visit the site and open the NightShift popup
- Click Whitelist site at the bottom left
- NightShift will be permanently disabled for that domain
Alternatively, use the Custom CSS box to fine-tune behaviour on that specific site.
Reading mode works by targeting common CSS class and ID patterns used for sidebars and ads. Some sites use unique or obfuscated class names that don't match those patterns.
For those sites, use the Custom CSS box in the popup to write your own hiding rules, e.g. .their-sidebar { display: none !important; }
Make sure the Auto Schedule toggle is switched on in the popup and that your start/end times are saved. The schedule is checked once per minute, so there may be up to a 60-second delay.
Also note: if you manually toggle dark mode off during a scheduled window, the schedule will re-enable it on the next minute check. The schedule always takes priority when enabled.
Yes — if you're signed in to Chrome, your settings (presets, whitelist, schedule, custom CSS) are stored in chrome.storage.sync and Chrome will sync them across your devices automatically.
If you're not signed in to Chrome, settings are stored locally on the current device only.
No. Chrome does not allow extensions to run content scripts on chrome:// pages, the Chrome Web Store, or the New Tab page. This is a Chrome security restriction and cannot be changed.
The quickest way is to remove and re-add the extension:
- Go to
chrome://extensions - Click Remove on NightShift
- Re-load it as unpacked or reinstall from the Chrome Web Store
This clears all stored settings and starts fresh with defaults.
NightShift collects nothing. No browsing data, no page content, no analytics. All processing happens locally on your device. See the Privacy Policy for the full breakdown.